The hours were long, the travel constant. On this rainy summer day, gazing out at the Mohican Wilderness near the Knox County town of Glenmont, Mooney says the woods is the only place he finds real peace.

“There’s something about being out here, I enjoy much more here, hearing the birds, rather than sit on a highway,” he says.

Since quitting his advising job, he’s spent the last eight years growing Mohican Cabins.

It’s almost typical….a spring, summer and fall, back-to-nature getaway, with conference and wedding facilities….except that two cabins, rather than being nestled within the trees, are…actually in the trees.

The Brice Family from Columbia Station is checking in. They walk onto the first treehouse's balcony.

“Animals escape up into trees for safety, and I know that humans throughout history have escaped to the trees," explains Mooney. "A safety factor, a calmness…despite the fact that you’re 30 feet up.”

800 yards away, Mooney’s Amish work crew builds a second treehouse. Safety is a top priority for Mooney and his fellow builders. The federal government doesn’t regulate treehouses, so caution is key.

“Building in the trees is potentially hazardous," says Pete Nelson. He's the treehouse builder who inspired the Mooneys, the star of a new Animal Planet reality show, “Treehouse Masters”.

Nelson’s Washington-based company has designed more than 100 treehouses in the U.S. He says without regulations, treehouses are "very much an underground thing."

"My greatest fear right now, is that people – they see these things that we’re building on TV, and charge off into the trees, without doing good research, and hurt themselves or the trees.”

Nelson and other tradesmen have joined the International Treehouse Association, started by Kevin Mooney. They critique plans and offer advice on surveying the right kinds of trees, as well as the best hardware…based on the most up-to-date technology.

Back at Mooney’s resort, the Brice Family settle into their treehouse…sort of.